A 16-year-old Aboriginal boy suffered a chipped tooth and bruising all over his body after he was thrown to the ground by a police officer.
Footage shows the officer, who was patrolling Surry Hills in Sydney’s inner east about 5.30pm on Monday, swiping the boy’s feet from underneath him during an arrest.
Moments earlier, the boy had threatened to physically assault the officer.
‘I’ll crack you across the jaw, bro,’ the teenager said.
At first, the officer appeared taken aback by the outburst, asking: ‘What was that?’
A 16-year-old boy suffered a chipped tooth and bruising all over his body after he was thrown to the ground by a police officer
But within moments, he approached the teenager – who was with friends at the time – and tried to handcuff him.
The person who filmed the altercation clearly realised the situation had escalated and groaned under his breath.
He then recorded the moment his friend was put in handcuffs and had his legs kicked out from underneath him, forcing him to the concrete face first.
‘What the f**k,’ the man filming said.
‘You just slammed him on his face,’ two other voices added.
A female officer then pinned down the teenager’s legs while the first officer adjusted the handcuffs behind his back.
A police officer was filmed throwing a young indigenous man to the ground after he was threatened
Following his arrest, the family claim he was taken to holding cells before being transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital via ambulance, where he spent the night waiting for results from x-rays to his shoulder, knee and elbow.
While on the floor, the teenager appeared to struggle to manoeuvre his arms behind his back and was wailing.
‘He’s in pain, bro. He’s in pain,’ the friend said. ‘You just slammed him on the f**king face.’
Following his arrest, the family claim he was taken to holding cells before being transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital via ambulance, where he spent the night waiting for results from x-rays to his shoulder, knee and elbow.
‘He has a bruised shoulder, cuts and grazing to his knee, face and elbow and chipped teeth,’ the relative said.
‘No charged have been laid… police state he will be charged at a later date.’
‘He has a bruised shoulder, cuts and grazing to his knee, face and elbow and chipped teeth,’ a relative said
The vision sparked outrage among the community, many of whom said it was particularly unnerving following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a white cop knelt on his throat for eight minutes during an arrest.
Out-of-control riots across the United States have put the nation on high alert as people set fire to police cars and loot buildings.
But others argue he did not show any excessive force, and instead detained the young man to avoid him following through with his threats.
Mr Floyd’s death, which was filmed and circulated online, sparked uprisings globally while Australia’s indigenous community said it was also a reflection of the treatment they receive.
At least 432 Aboriginal people have died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission, which investigated 99 such deaths from 1980 to 1989.
Footage shows the officer, who was patrolling in Surry Hills in Sydney at the time, swipe the feet from underneath the man during the arrest (left). While on the floor, the young man appeared to struggle to manoeuvre his arms behind his back and was wailing (right)
A protester poses for photos next to a burning police vehicle in Los Angeles, Saturday, May 30 during a demonstration following the death of George Floyd
Two who were shot dead in the past year led to police being charged with murder, both of whom pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
Aboriginal activists draw direct parallels between Mr Floyd’s death, and many others like him in the U.S., and the high rate of indigenous deaths in Australia.
‘So many of our Aboriginal people dead in custody in Australia has came about by this exact kind of brutal procedure of the knee in the neck area causing breathing to cut off,’ Perth community leader Mervyn Eades said.
TV Host Shelly Ware added: ‘The past few days has also shone a light on the work Australia still has to do. Our back yard is certainly not clean.
‘Aboriginal deaths in custody… is still happening. Justice has not been served for these people and their loved ones and family still suffer today.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for more information.
Officer Derek Chauvin (pictured) was identified as the officer pinning down George Floyd in video footage that was widely shared last week
Washington DC: Protesters holding banners march from Capitol Hill toward the White House during a rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd on Saturday